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You’ll pardon me for repeating something I said recently on our super-awesome and fun NBA show, Dunks For Humanity, in which our hoops crew was asked who the best team in the East was.
But when it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo, it bears repeating.
I said the best team was the defending champs in the Milwaukee Bucks, and that it bothers me that there isn’t enough MVP talk about him every year despite him winning a pair of the awards thus far in his incredible career.
Year after year, he’s putting up absurd numbers, consistently. He developed enough of a three-point shot to be a threat from beyond the arc. His defense continues to be jaw-dropping. And he’s in the middle of year in which he’s averaging a career-high 30.1 ppg. Any concerns about his offense that should have been wiped out after he won a ring should be COMPLETELY put to rest.
Look at what he did on Thursday night in a clutch win over the Nets. I nearly fell off my couch at the step-back (!) three (!!) that sent the game to overtime, a shot that Giannis may not have attempted two or three years ago. He nailed free throws late in the game, another facet of his game that’s impressive as heck given his past struggles.
Nikola Jokic is probably the MVP this year. I don’t argue with that. And while I think Antetokounmpo probably passed Embiid — read Mike Sykes’ take on this — this is bigger than just this year’s award.
This is a reminder that just because a player like the Greek Freak puts up similar numbers every year doesn’t mean we should skip over him in the MVP conversation. And the way he’s taken his game from awe-inspiring to otherworldly is more worthy of our attention.
Quick hits: New NFL mock draft! … New NHL power rankings! … Fantasy baseball prospects … and more.
— Our latest NFL mock draft is here — with TWO rounds, courtesy of Christian D’Andrea.
— Mary Clarke has the latest NHL power rankings, with the Golden Knights looking like they’re in trouble ahead of the postseason.
— Blake Schuster delivered seven MLB prospects to target in fantasy baseball.
— This Wheel of Fortune gaffe is rough.